GELACIO, LATRELL LYNDON E.

BSN-2A FEBRUARY 14, 2020

THE TEN PRINCIPAL VIRTUE OF THE BLESSED

VIRGIN MARY

1. Deep Humility
A humble person recognizes that all the good they have done, and can do,
is a result of the Presence of God in their life. Mary was most humble calling
herself the servant or the handmaid of the Lord. Also, in her magnificent canticle
of praise that we call The Magnificat (Lk 1: 46-55), Mary states that God has
looked with favor upon the humility of His handmaid. Let us beg Mary for a meek
and humble heart so that like her, we will attribute our successes to God and our
failures to ourselves.

2. Livenly Faith
Faith is one of the three theological virtues—faith, hope, and charity. Faith is
believing in God and His Word without seeing with our eyes. Jesus gently
reproved the doubting Thomas with these words: “Blessed are those who believe
without seeing.” (Jn 20: 29) Mary is the woman of faith par excellence. Even
though Mary witnessed the passion, suffering, and death of Jesus, she believed
that He would conquer death. Therefore, when we are tempted to doubt, let us
turn to Mary, the woman of faith, and beg for her most powerful intercession.
3. Blind Obedience
By giving her consent in the Annunciation—“Behold, I am the handmaid of
the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1: 38)—Mary displayed
an admirable attitude of obedience to the Word of God and trust in His holy will.
When we are tempted to rebel and turn against God, let us, through Mary’s
prayers and example, obey God like Mary, and like Jesus who “was obedient to
death, even death on the cross.” (Phil 2: 8)

4. Unceasing Prayer
Prayer can be defined as communication with God. There is no better
example in the world, aside from Jesus, with respect to a life of constant prayer
then that of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Scripture tells us, “Mary pondered these
things in her heart.” (Lk 2: 19) She continually thought of God in her mind and
loved God with all of her heart; she maintained constant communication with the
Blessed Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spririt. The devil of laziness
can attack all of us. May Our Lady inspire us to be constant, fervent, and faithful
to prayer. Indeed, prayer is the key to our salvation. What air is to the lungs,
prayer is to the soul.

5. Constant Self-Denial
Another way of wording this is mortification, the ascetical life, which leads
to the mystical life of union with God. Mary denied and sacrificed herself in all
times and places. By doing so, she gave full reign for God to work in the entirety
of her life. In Mary’s approved Apparitions in both Lourdes and Fatima, she
strongly encouraged the practice of prayer, but also that of sacrifice. By making
sacrifices we are imitating Mary in the art of self-denial. Self-denial turns us
towards God and away from self. Mary was always God-centered and never self-
centered. May this be our style of life!
6. Surpassing Purity
One of the most sublime virtues that characterizes the most Blessed Virgin
Mary is that of her spotless purity; Mary is known as the Immaculate One.In
Fatima, Our Lady sadly expressed that most souls are lost to the eternal fires of
hell due to sins against the virtue of holy purity. Mary is the Perpetual Virgin. She
was virgin before the birth of Jesus, during the birth of Jesus, and after the birth
of Jesus. True devotion to Mary can help us to maintain our purity, and if we
have lost it, to seek restoration through Sacramental Confession. Contemplating a
beautiful picture, painting, or statue of Our Lady can instill in us noble
aspirations for purity.

7. Ardent Love
Of all the virtues that we are called to practice that of ardent love,
sometimes called charity, is the greatest of all. (Read the beautiful hymn of love
of Saint Paul: I Corinthians 13). Our Lady practiced love to a sublime degree and
in two ways, for love or charity has two dimensions. Mary at all times and places,
loved God first and foremost. However, Mary expressed concretely her love for
God by her ardent love for neighbor. Examples of this. In the Annunciation,
through her unconditional Yes Mary showed her total and unreserved love for
God. However, moving in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth, Mary manifested
great love for neighbor. May we say, in imitation of Mary and in the words of
Saint Paul, “The love of God compels me.” (2 Cor 5:14) May we learn this double
commandment—love of God and love of neighbor—and strive to live it out on a
daily basis. Saint John of the Cross states: “In the twilight of our existence, we
will be judged on love.”

8. Heroic Patience
Not one of us can say that we are patient at all times, in all places, and all
circumstances. Unlike Mary, who manifested remarkable patience! Consider
Mary in her pregnancy, travelling the long trek to Bethlehem and then being
rejected—what great patience! Losing the Child Jesus when He was twelve years
of age for three long days before finding Him in the Temple—another
manifestation of heroic patience! Most especially, in accompanying Jesus in His
Passion leading up to His brutal Crucifixion and death, Mary manifested an
unequalled patience! When our patience is put to the test, let us call out to Mary
for her assistance. She will never fail us!
9. Angelic Kindness
The opposite of kindness is rudeness. Just try to imagine the way and
manner in which Mary must have treated her neighbor! A warm welcome, a kind
and winning smile, courtesy to the maximum, an attentive ear to listen—all of
these are clear manifestations of kindness, angelic kindness. Mary did all this to
the highest degree! Saint Frances de Sales on this virtue commented: One can
attract more flies with a spoonful of honey then with a barrel full of vinegar. In
other words, kindness attracts others to Christ more than drastic and rude
measures. May Our Lady teach us what it means to be kind and may we put it
into practice

10. Heavenly Wisdom

One of the sublime titles given to Mary in her glorious Litany is that
of SEAT OF WISDOM. A wise person knows what is most important in life.
Dynamic love for God and ardent desire for the salvation of immortal souls are
hallmarks of true wisdom. Our Lady had a burning love for God and an ardent
desire for the conversion of sinners and their eternal salvation. “The Blessed
Virgin persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross… joining herself with
his sacrifice in her mother’s heart.” (Vat II, Lumen Gentium) King Solomon was
once wise, but he gave into his weakness—that of lustful desires—and ended his
life like a fool. We beg the intercession of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom to attain for
us not only wisdom now, but perseverance in this sublime virtue until the very
end

Conclusion
In conclusion, may we ardently desire to know, love, and imitate our
Blessed Mother Mary, be motivated with a firm decision to meditate frequently
and fervently on the virtues of Mary most holy, and then strive to live them out all
the days of our lives! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at
the hour of our death. Amen.